


Summer Camp Shenanigans

by adenei



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:49:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25985428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adenei/pseuds/adenei
Summary: AU - set between the summer of 5th and 6th year. The Gryffindors partake in a 4 day summer course for Herbology and Muggle Studies where they immerse themselves in a muggle summer camp. What will happen around the campfire when Seamus breaks out the firewhiskey and muggle games 'never have I ever' and 'truth or dare'?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Lavender Brown/Seamus Finnigan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Camp Best Bunks

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my next story! I plan for this to be pretty fluffy. I also wanted to do more of the Gryffindor bonding with all of them together, and also just to let them have some fun and be normal teachers (as normal as wizards and witches can be when trying to navigate four days without magic). This first chapter is pretty descriptive to set things up, but we'll get to the fun stuff soon!

The newly appointed sixth year Gryffindors (at least, that’s what they were calling themselves, since term was officially over and it was July) all stood packed in the tiny common area of the cabin they’d be staying in for the next three days. 

“Alright, students! You’ve been assigned to this cabin for the next few nights. Girls on the right, and boys to the left,” explained Professor Sprout. “It may not be as posh as you are used to at Hogwarts, but Professor Burbage is always able to secure this summer camp during the first few days of July for us. It is perfect for the plants you will be asked to search for and study.”

“What’s the purpose of this school trip again?” Seamus muttered under his breath. He wasn’t quiet enough to escape Professor Sprout’s ears.

“This educational trip is meant to give a dual muggle experience. There are components of the Herbology curriculum we cannot fit in during the normal school year, so we combine with the Muggle Studies course curriculum, which gives students a hands-on experience in a muggle setting. Your time will be split identifying various non-magical plants as well as experiencing the muggle custom known as ‘summer camp,’” Professor Sprout explained for the third time that day.

“And if we don’t take muggle studies? Do we get to skip that portion of the work?” Dean asked, considering his mum was a muggle and he’d actually experienced a summer camp before he came to Hogwarts.

“It would serve you all well to remember that even though it’s summer, you do need to use your brains for another four days,” Professor Sprout scolded before answering Dean’s question. “This is a fulfillment of your fifth year of herbology, and you will receive a note on your transcript for the Muggle Studies portion if you were not enrolled in the class. It would also do you well to remember that the Muggle Studies part is more recreational in nature. Any other questions before I leave you to get settled?”

“Er, yes Professor,” Hermione said. “I’ve heard from former students that there is no magic allowed throughout the course of the trip. Will you really be taking our wands? Is that really safe given the, er, state of things?”

“Yes, Ms. Granger, that bit of knowledge holds true. You will not be allowed to use magic to fulfill the Muggle Studies portion of the course. Your wands will be placed in a magic safe. We might as well see to that now.” Professor Sprout sighed as she opened the safe using her wand.

“But Professor, we can’t not have our wands on us, not now that he’s back.” Ron protested. 

“I understand your concerns, Mr. Weasley, but we are well protected. There are members of the Order here with us right now making the camp completely unplottable, and protections are being put into place for the next few days. The perimeter will be patrolled the entire time we are here, and it will be impossible for any of you to leave the wards unnoticed.”

“But what if we have to protect ourselves?” asked Neville. 

“Mr. Longbottom, may I have your wand?” Professor Sprout asked.

“Wh-what?” Neville asked.

Professor Sprout held out her hand, and Nevile slumped his shoulders as he handed his wand over. “Now, you will all notice that I am placing Neville’s wand in this safe. Neville, can you please place your right index finger on this scan pad?” Neville wasn’t sure why, but he obeyed her request. 

“Very good. Now, if there is an emergency, you can place your finger on this scanner and say ‘accio’, and your wand will return to your person. We’ll go through this process with everyone. I will warn you that there is a log within the scanner, so we will know if and when you take your wand and put it back at any point within the next three days. Though, I must promise you all that you are very well protected. We would not have continued the course if Professor Dumbledore deemed it unsafe.” Professor Sprout was looking directly at Harry as she said the last part.

One by one, each Gryffindor stepped forward and placed their wand in the safe, scanning their finger in the process. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last to go given their apprehensive state.

“Er, Professor, where are the toilets?” Lavender asked.

“Just across the lawn over there,” Professor Sprout pointed out the screen door to a building slightly to the left. “The loo as well as the showers are in there.” Lavender looked appalled to have to walk twenty meters to use the loo. “Not to worry! Professor Burbage will explain everything you need to know following dinner.”

Just then, Katie Bell entered the cabin. “Ah, yes! I almost forgot. Katie will be your Counselor for your time here. She’ll be giving you a tour of the camp in fifteen minutes, and then you’ll meet the rest of the campers in the mess hall for dinner.” Professor Sprout hastily made her exit to attend to the Hufflepuffs who were still waiting to be shown to their cabin next door.

“Hi, everyone!” Katie said cheerfully. “Go on then and get settled. I’ll meet you all on the front porch in fifteen so we can begin the tour of the property. You’re going to love it, I promise!”

As the boys walked to the room on the left, Ron said, “The only thing I’m going to love is not having any Slytherins here. Not that it’s fair they get out of this.”

“I don’t know mate, it could be interesting,” Harry said. He was glad to delay his return to the Dursleys for a few days.

“I think you’ll all actually like it,” said Dean. “I went to summer camp before coming to Hogwarts. If it’s anything like that, we’ll be swimming and playing muggle sports, like football! I think I saw a canteen, too, where we can go and get snacks.”

“Whoa, what kind of beds are those?” Neville asked.

“Those are bunks, mate,” Seamus answered. “You’ve never seen one before?”

“No, but I think I’ll keep to the bottom. How do you even get up there anyways?” Neville asked as Seamus answered by demonstrating.

“Well, there’s enough here for us all to choose. Can you imagine, what, twenty blokes in one room on this side?” Seamus shook his head. “It’s bad enough sharing with you four!” He sniggered as Dean hit him with his pillow.

“So...we just roll out the sleeping bag and the pillow on the mattress? They don’t even have blankets for us?” Ron was staring at the Hogwarts issued materials that sat next to his duffel on the mattress. He may not have grown up particularly wealthy, but he’d always been clothed and fed and had the basic necessities, like a bed and plenty of blankets,

“Yup!” Katie walked in and startled them.

“Jeez Katie, shouldn’t you knock first?” Harry asked. “What if I was changing or something?”

“Oh, please Harry, we’re both on the Gryffindor quidditch team. Nice try,” Katie retorted as the rest of the boys laughed.

“You can’t honestly expect us to believe this is how muggles sleep for a week while they’re at camp. Our tent for the world cup was better than this.” Ron was still having a hard time getting used to this.

“Would you rather sleep in a muggle tent on the ground? Oh, wait, that’s what we’ll be doing two nights from now!” Katie said excitedly.

“What?!” all the boys responded in unison, and followed with groans.

“Oops! You’ll have to wait for the rest of the itinerary to find out more. Five minutes, please!”

The boys laid out their sleeping bags and continued speculating about what they’d be doing the next few days. They met the girls outside as Lavender and Parvati were lamenting about having to walk outside to get to the bathroom. 

“It’s not that bad,” Hermione admonished. “I’m sure it could be worse.”

“Alright, everyone!” Katie got their attention. “So we’re bunking in Cabin 1, and the Hufflepuffs are in Cabin 2.” She pointed to the cabin to the right. The camp office is to our left, and that’s where the professors stay. You’ve already seen where our bathrooms are, and we’ll have a specific time for showers, since we have to share with the other cabins and bunkers. You can see Bunker 7 is occupied by the Ravenclaws. Now, normally when there are muggles here the cabins are all for girls, and the boys stay in bunkers. Everyone is split by their ages and sorted into the cabins that way. The tennis courts are behind the bathrooms over there, and just ahead is the canteen.”

“Will we be able to use it?!” asked Dean.

“Ah, another fellow summer camper, eh?” asked Katie. “Yes, Professor Burbage gives everyone an allotment of muggle money, British pounds, to use at the Canteen. You have to figure out how much to use and make your own change, under supervision of course. Be careful and don’t spend it all on the first day. Once you’re out, you’re out.” They kept walking. “The hospital room is right next door here. Madam Pomfrey is with us just in case.”

Instead of continuing to the building ahead of them, Katie turned right and veered towards the water. They crossed an open space that would be used for more recreational games. When they came up to the walkway just before the small sandy area that led to the lake, Katie said, “This is where we can swim, and just on the other side of the rec building there are canoes for boating! This building here is a space for larger indoor events. We may be in there a couple times if it’s raining.”

“Er, Katie,” Neville interrupted, “There doesn’t seem to be a lot of vegetation around, so how are we supposed to complete Professor Sprout’s assignments?”

“Oh, not to worry! There are hiking trails down past the courts. You’ll go on two nature walks to see what you can identify and jot them down in your notebooks. Now, shall we head to the mess hall?” She turned them around to the building she’d diverged them from before. “Think of the mess hall like the great hall. It’s where meals are prepared and where we eat. The only difference is the food is on a line, and you walk along and choose what you want to go on your tray. It doesn’t magically appear on the table.” 

They walked in and took a seat at one of the tables. “They’ll call us up when it’s our turn to go through the line. Don’t forget to grab your silverware as well,” Katie explained.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat together with the other Gryffindors next to them. Katie beckoned them up to get food a few minutes later when their table was called. The first night’s meal looked like meatloaf with mashed potatoes, fresh blanched veggies, and fruit cups. They tucked into their meals and talked about what activities they thought would be on their schedules.

After they finished their meals, they disposed of their trays and grabbed a few cookies for dessert. Katie was given their itineraries from Professor Sprout and began passing them out. Harry and Ron immediately began comparing schedules. Both boys were the same:

2 July 1996  
8:00 - Breakfast  
9:00 - Herbology Nature Hike with Professor Sprout  
12:00 - Lunch  
1:00 - Football  
2:00 - Boating  
3:00 - Swimming  
4:00 - Canteen/Free Time  
6:00 - Dinner  
7:00 - Showers/Free Time  
8:00 - Movie night  
10:00 - Lights out

3 July 1996  
8:00 - Breakfast  
9:00 - Team Building/Obstacle Course  
12:00 - Lunch  
1:00 - Tennis  
2:00 - Archery  
3:00 - Boating/Swimming  
4:00 - Canteen/Free Time  
6:00 - Dinner  
7:00 - Showers/Free Time  
8:00 - Camping/Campfire  
10:00 - Lights out

4 July 1996  
8:00 - Breakfast  
9:00 - Herbology Nature Hike with Professor Sprout  
12:00 - Lunch  
1:00 - Kickball  
2:00 - Fishing  
3:00 - Boating/Swimming  
4:00 - Canteen/Free Time  
6:00 - Dinner  
7:00 - Showers/Free Time  
8:00 - Dance  
10:00 - Lights out

Hermione snagged Ron’s schedule out of his hands and compared it to her own. “No, no, no,” she muttered.

“What’s wrong?” Ron asked.

“It’s just that for the first time, our schedules aren’t the same,” Hermione was shaking her head.

“Uh, Hermione, what about the loads of classes you take without Harry and I?” Ron asked her.

“Yes, but we’re together in everything we do take. Mine’s switched from yours in the afternoons.” Hermione directed her attention towards Katie. “Katie, why do the girls and boys schedules differ in the afternoons?”

“Well, typically muggles split boys and girls when it comes to athletics. So Professor Burbage likes to keep it that way to give you an authentic experience.”

“I see,” Hermione said, but didn’t seem happy at the answer.

Professor Burbage stood up to gather everyone’s attention just then. “Good evening, everyone and welcome to Camp Best Bunks.” Everyone stared at her as she chuckled. “That’s the actual name of the camp, I didn’t name it. Anyways, hopefully you’ve all had time to look over your schedules. You will be quite busy over the next few days so you’ll have the evening to get settled. 

“The next three days we expect you to fully immerse yourselves in the ways of muggles. Your counselors will be teaching you various activities that you will be participating in. Some of our campers may be familiar and can help if they are muggleborn or half bloods who know how to partake in specific activities. My goal is for you to learn and have fun in the process! The Muggle Studies side of things is not meant to be work, so you’ll receive an easy credit if you immerse yourselves in the process.

“A few things to note. Madam Pomfrey is on hand in the Nurse’s office should you need assistance. Should you need to use the loo, you’ll need a buddy to go with you. Your counselors will get you situated with the buddy system before you turn in tonight. The canteen will be open between four and six each day. You will be allotted ten pounds to purchase what you wish. Your counselors will also teach you how to make change and will monitor your purchases. Life jackets MUST be worn at all times if you are boating, and the buddy system will also be in place if you are swimming in the lake. You are NOT to go past the second set of buoys regardless of how great a swimmer you are. The lifeguard must be on duty before you enter the water, as well. That’s it from me, and I believe Professor Sprout has a few things as well.”

“Thank you, Professor Burbage! You will notice that our first hike will be tomorrow morning. Make sure you have a filling breakfast. The counselors will be distributing notebooks and pens to write with. Coinciding with the muggle world, we are also using muggle stationary. Our two hiking sessions will primarily be to help you identify various common plants in nature, and we’ll go over the properties and uses of each plant. As I’ve said before, we are very well protected, so do enjoy your time here over the next few days. Now, off to your cabins. See you in the morning!”

“Well, this should be easy for you two,” Ron said. “Growing up with muggles and all. You’ll tell me if I’m royally buggering something up, yeah?”

“Don’t worry, mate, you’ll be fine. You heard Professor Burbage, this is supposed to be fun!” Harry said.

“Yeah, fun, what’s that?” Ron said.

“Acting like normal teenagers for once? I’m not sure I know how,” Hermione said, half as a joke, but half seriously.

They all laughed. Back in the cabin Katie went over everything the professors had said in the mess hall. Everyone had been assigned buddies. Hermione was paired with Katie, and Neville would join Harry and Ron. They dispersed to use the loo and get ready for bed.

Ron was unzipping his sleeping bag when he saw Seamus sneak somewhere in the back of the room. He nudged Harry and nodded in the direction Seamus went. They got up and quietly followed him. It was there that they realized there was another common space that connected the girls side to the boy’s and Seamus was snogging Lavender. 

Harry and Ron shuffled quickly back to their bunk. “Whoa..” said Harry.

“Are you really surprised?” Dean was looking at them both.

“Nah,” said Ron, “But it’s good to know we have access back there.”

Harry snorted, “Yeah, mate? What are you planning on using it for?”

“What? I didn’t mean it like, just, oh nevermind.” Dean and Neville were also laughing at him now. 

“Hey guys, look what Seamus managed to bring.” Dean was holding up two bottles of firewhiskey. “You don’t think Katie’ll rat us out, do you?”

“I don’t reckon so,” Harry said.

“He wants to save it for the campfire. Something about playing muggle games and spiking our drinks with it to make things interesting,” Dean continued.

“What muggle games?” asked Neville.

Seamus returned just then, “Never have I ever and Truth or Dare.”

“You’re back early,” commented Dean.

“Yeah, well Ron’s perfect prefect partner busted us,” Seamus rolled his eyes.

“You could have just said Hermione,” said Harry.

“Oi, leave her alone! Better her than Katie, I’m sure,” Ron said.

“Yeah, yeah. What do you think of the plan?” Seamus asked.

Neville shrugged noncommittally while Harry said it could be fun. Dean looked excited, and Ron said, “Sure, I guess. Something to spice this trip up a bit, yeah?”

“You have no idea,” said Seamus.


	2. Day 1 - Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 at summer camp!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's short, but let's be honest, we're all here for what's coming in the chapters ahead. This was kind of just a filler, but hopefully you'll stay with me. I promise we're getting there!

The following day seemed to pass by in a blur. The boys were relaxing on their bunks, having just returned from the canteen. 

“Who knew how many different types of muggle candy they’d have!” Ron had laid out his purchases from the day on his sleeping bag as the other boys laughed.

“You and your sweets, Ron, “ Harry rolled his eyes. Each of the boys had purchased a variety of snacks and were sharing to see what they liked the best.

“Well, unlike you three, Neville and I haven’t exactly been introduced to all this candy, now have we?”

“Hermione doesn’t get you muggle candy for gifts? That’s surprising..” commented Dean.

“Her parents are dentists,” Harry reminded them.

“Right. Speaking of, next time we’re boating, you wanna keep focused on not tipping the boat, Ron?” Seamus said, and all the boys broke into a fit of laughter.

“What, it’s not my fault! And we didn’t fall in now did we?” Ron defended himself.

“Not your fault? Sure, then tomorrow let’s switch and I can watch the girls playing football instead and see how you like it,” Seamus sniggered.

“That wasn’t, I wasn’t, oh sod off!” Ron was clearly flustered.

There was a knock at the door just then. “We’re heading to dinner! Are you all ready?” It sounded like Hermione’s voice.

“Yeah. Coming!” Ron responded to her.

Seamus coughed and said, “In more ways than one.”

As they sat down with their trays, the Gryffindor table all discussed their activities during the day and how things had differed.

“I hate sports,” Lavender pouted as she complained about having to learn and play football with the other girls.

“Oh, come on now Lavender, it wasn’t that bad!” Parvati said. “Actually, Hermione seemed to impress everyone! We didn’t know you could play.”

All the boys turned to her. “But you hate sports,” Ron said.

Hermione felt her cheeks burn, “Well, I’ve never said I hate sports. I just prefer reading instead. My parents made me play in a children’s league growing up, so most of it came back fairly easy for me.”

“I’m not complaining because our team won!” Parvati added. “They should really let us have a boys vs. girls game. That would make things more interesting!” Lavender perked up at that thought, no doubt to use it as an excuse to get closer to Seamus.

“Oh, maybe we can get a pick up game during free time tomorrow or the day after!” Dean suggested. The boys seemed to nod in agreement.

Ron turned back to Hermione, “If you played football growing up then why don’t you like playing quidditch with us over the summer?”

Hermione stared at him. “Well, the major difference would be that football is played on the ground, and you know how I feel about flying. Besides, Parvati was just being nice. I’m not that good, I just know the rules and basic concepts..”

“Well, now we have to do the pick up game. This I’ve gotta see,” Harry said in a teasing fashion as Hermione swatted at him. 

“So..what’s this ‘movie night’ all about?” Neville asked. 

Hermione was thankful for the subject change. “You know how magical photographs have the people moving inside of them? Well, a movie is sort of like that, but it’s longer and tells a story. It’s filmed, or recorded, using a video camera and they use actors and actresses to tell the story. They’re very popular in the muggle world!”

“I wonder what movie they’ll be showing,” said Dean.

“I hope we’ll get popcorn just like in the theaters,” added Seamus.

“Sounds interesting,” said Ron. “Where do we go for that again?”

“The rec building by the lake. I saw them setting up the screen earlier.” Hermione said. She noticed Katie had also finished her meal. “All set, Katie? I was hoping to head to the showers now. I feel quite grimy from the day.”

“Sure thing, Hermione. Remember you’ve got an hour of free time before we head over for movie night. Please do be sure to freshen up in that time if you haven’t already. I’d rather not smell your B.O. tonight if I can help it,” she gestured to the boys, who all looked affronted in kind.

It was ten minutes to 8:00 when Katie rounded everyone up and they headed over to the rec building. As they entered, they were all handed individual bags of popcorn and their choice of “pop”, which was a muggle favorite.

“Yes, I knew there’d be snacks! Can’t have a movie without popcorn,” Seamus triumphed. Those from wizard families looked confused, but soon found out what all the fuss was about.

There were options for the teens to sit in chairs, or grab blankets and throw pillows to make themselves comfortable on the floor. Harry, Ron and Hermione opted for the blanket option and were busy setting their area up when Professor Burbage stepped up in front of the screen.

“Good evening, everyone! I trust that you all had a great day today, and hopefully Professor Sprout didn’t tire you out too much on your first nature walk..” Some students groaned in response. Professor Burbage chucked as she continued on. “Well, make sure you get a good night’s rest after the movie because the obstacle course will be just as, if not more, gruelling in the morning! 

“As you well know, tonight is movie night. Watching movies is a very popular muggle activity, and hundreds of movies are made each year. The people you will see on the screen are what we call actors and actresses. It’s their job to act out the story you are seeing on screen. The movie we are watching tonight is a made up story, so please do not think it is real. Though, with this particular movie, you’ll know very quickly it’s not real, but I digress. Tonight’s movie is brand new, hot off the film strip! It’s called Matilda, and is about a-” she paused to read the description on the back of the movie case, “- young genius girl who possesses psychokinetic powers and uses them against her evil principal and mean family. Many of you will relate her powers to magic, which is especially unique for us this year, as you’ll get to see one of the muggle interpretations of magic itself. Remember, this is a fictional story. Enjoy!”

Professor Burbage made her way to the back of the room to play the movie and turn off the lights. Ron nudged both Harry and Hermione. Sounds like someone stole your stories and combined them into one!”   
“Oh hush, Ron, I’m sure it’s not like that at all,” Hermione said as Harry rolled his eyes. Everyone tuned into the movie, and were captivated for its entire length. When it ended, some of the students even clapped.

“That was so cool! Are there really more of these?” Ron asked.

“Yes, new movies are premiered at the theater every week! Maybe if you ever visit my family we can go see one.” Hermione said as she tried to hide the blush on her cheeks. 

“Oh, I’d like that!” Ron said as his ears reddened. Professor Burbage turned off the movie and turned the lights back on.

“Alright, off to bed for everyone! Good night!”

They all made their way back to the cabin after making a pit stop at the loo.

“Everyone should make sure they’re up in time for breakfast tomorrow!” Katie said as she glared at Dean and Seamus. “I have a fog horn and I’m not afraid to use it in the morning if you can’t wake up.”

“A what?” asked Neville.

“It’s a loud noise making device that’s incredibly annoying,” explained Hermione.

“Exactly,” said Katie. “Don’t make me use it.” The girls laughed as they returned to their side of the dorm.

“Say, Hermione you and Ron were getting close during the movie,” Katie commented.

“What? Of course we weren’t! No closer than normal,” she said defensively.

“That’s not the way it looked from the back,” Lavender commented.

“Well, I’m sure you’re just reading into it because nothing’s going on between us.” Hermione said.

“Sureee,” Lavender retorted in a sing-song voice.

Katie gave her a sly smirk, “Well just a heads up, I paired you two up as partner’s for the obstacle course tomorrow. Hope that’s okay.”

“Ooooh, excellent!” Parvati joined in.

“Of course it’s alright, we’re friends. Honestly.” Hermione rolled her eyes as she tucked herself into her bunk. “Why do we need partners anyways?”

“Some of the activities are two-person, and others are larger team building activities. I can’t explain it all now, but you’ll see tomorrow! Alright, I’m turning the lights out. Sweet dreams, ladies,” Katie said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Matilda did actually premiere in '96, but not until August. I couldn't resist using it though because honestly wizards watching a muggle movie that "uses" magic is just too perfect!


	3. The Obstacle Course Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our wizard friends are about to experience a pretty intense ropes course AND obstacle course. Who will fall? Who will freeze? Which team will win the ultimate challenge - the Badgers, Eagles or Lions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was super fun to write! Hope you enjoy :)

The next morning, all of the Hogwarts participants were following their counselors to a separate area down the main road. Each group was given a team shirt they were to wear for the morning’s events, and Katie had recommended the girls wear their swim clothes underneath their shirt and shorts ‘just in case.’ The Gryffindors all had red shirts with a gold lion on the front. Their last names were also printed on the back. Likewise, the Ravenclaws had blue shirts with a silver eagle, and the Hufflepuffs were yellow with a black badger. 

Katie couldn’t hide her excitement. “You all are in for a real treat. I know I’ve said this is my favorite part about a lot of things, but this is pure genius. You guys are going to have so much fun.”

She veered them to the right down a wide dirt pathway and they walked for another few minutes before a large course with various stations was laid down in front of them. It was unlike anything Ron had ever seen. Other students could be heard saying things like ‘whoa’ or ‘that looks intense’ as he said to Harry and Hermione, “We’ve got to complete that?” The boys had explained what an obstacle course was and what they might expect today.

There were a series of different stations. Hay bales placed in random spots along the field, large black tubes that he wasn’t sure what they were, a wall with a rope hanging down it, a cargo net, tire pit, balance beams and a long stretch of material going down a hill that had a finish sign at the end of it.

“Oh my,” he heard Hermione say and followed her gaze upward, where there were lots of lines and wires connecting platforms high up in the trees. “Professor Burbage said obstacle course, but didn’t include anything about a ropes course, too. I hate heights, I really hope we don’t have to do that.”

Katie overheard them, “Don’t worry, Hermione, you’ll be strapped into a harness, no one will get hurt.”

“A what now?” Ron asked. “You mean to tell me we have to follow one line to another platform without magic. That’s bloody mental!” He looked at Harry and Hermione, hoping for some explanation. It was at that moment that Professor Burbage stepped forward and gathered their attention.

“Good morning, everyone! I hope you all had a decent night’s sleep! You are going to need all your energy and focus for this morning’s activities. Welcome to the team building center of Camp Best Bunks. This morning you will all be learning how to maneuver your way through the ropes course above us to better prepare you for the challenges you’ll face later in the morning. We have trainers here who will strap you into the harnesses on the practice course, and you’ll get to test out some of the obstacles that are similar to the actual course. Each group will be paired with a trainer for the next 45 minutes or so to get the basic training needed to complete today’s work. Lions, you will be with Mr. Smith, Eagles with Ms. Webber, and Badgers with Mr. Foster. They are wearing the same color as you so you know who to report to. Once your training period has ended, we will reconvene right here to go over the challenge!”

The lions walked over to Mr. Smith and listened to his explanation on safety and how the harnesses are there to protect them. He demonstrated how to put the harness on, and then climbed up the rock wall to get to the first platform. “You’ll be completing three ropes obstacles as part of the challenge: the ladder walk, tightrope, and zip line. The ladder walk is exactly as it sounds,” he said as he demonstrated walking across the ladder bridge to the second platform. “You’ll notice the planks are a bit wobbly, but you always have this rope above you to help secure your balance. The tightrope is another balancing act, but a bit shorter, and finally, you’ll clip yourself into the zipline and ride down to the ground. This is where you’ll take your harness off and complete the rest of the stations. Now, without further ado, we are going to get you each strapped into your own harness, and you all can have a go at these practice obstacles. Once you climb up the rock wall, I’ll be there to hook you in. Remember, if you lose your balance and fall, the harness will stop you and then we gently lower you back to the ground. It’s okay if that happens! You can try again or take the ladder up to the next station. My assistant, Dan, will hook you into the zipline at the end, and Jasmine will unclip you when you reach the bottom. All set?”

They all nodded, and Mr. Smith, Dan and Jasmine began helping them into their harnesses. “This is right uncomfortable,” complained Ron as he waited for Harry to finish.

“I don’t care how uncomfortable it is as long as it prevents me from falling face first onto the ground,” complained Lavender.

“Do we actually have to do this part?” Hermione was looking more nervous than ever. “I think I’d rather take the fail..”

“Hermione Granger willingly admitting she’d rather fail? Yeah, right. Just give it a try, Hermione. Harry and I will be right behind or in front of you if you need support.” Ron said.

Hermione gave him a weak smile. Dean and Seamus went first, followed by Lavender and Parvati. Hermione was glad they were waiting so that hopefully no one would watch her if she fell. She noticed Lavender fall off quite quickly on the ladder, and Parvati made it all the way. Neville went next and was doing a great job until he got distracted on the tightrope, lost his balance and fell. Harry went next and made it through just fine, and then Ron nudged Hermione to go.

Hermione made her way up the rock wall, which was harder than she expected, and once Mr. Smith hooked her in, he gave her a nod. Hermione grabbed onto the rope above her and put one foot on the first plank. She accidentally looked down before she could step off the platform fully with her other foot and froze. The fear of being that high up had literally paralyzed her. She couldn’t move. 

“You can do it, Ms. Granger, just take it slow,” Mr. Smith tried to encourage her. 

Hermione shook her head. “No, I don’t think I can,” she whispered as she started to tremble. “Please, don’t make me.”

Ron was watching quietly below. He rarely saw fear flash across Hermione’s face and he knew this wasn’t going to end well. “Hermione!” he called up to her. “It’s okay, you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. Don’t push it!”

Ron’s words were calming to her, and she was so thankful he didn’t choose that moment to take the mickey out of her as Harry probably would have. All in good fun, of course he’d undoubtedly say. “Do I have to, Mr. Smith? Can I opt out and please get down, I don’t think I can do this.”

“If you are truly uncomfortable, you can step back onto the platform.” Mr. Smith held out his hand and guided Hermione back, as she didn’t trust herself. “There’s a walkway to the right you can follow to the last station. You can either zipline down or take the ladder over there. If you’re not sure, just think of the zipline like a slide. It’s the easiest part.” He turned to Ron, “You can climb up now.”

“Thank you,” Hermione said quietly. She waited a moment for Ron to climb up. When he appeared on the platform she said, “I really did try,” ashamedly.

“The fact you’re still standing up this high is a miracle!” Ron reassured her. 

“I have to walk to the zip line. I’ll see you at the end.”

“You gonna try and go down it?”   
“Er, yes, it’s just like a slide,” Hermione said nervously.

“Brilliant! I’ll meet you at the end,” Ron said.

Hermione walked quickly along the solid platform under her feet. Jasmine, the zip line attendant smiled at her as she walked up. “Don’t worry, not everyone goes across on their first try! Do you want to take the ladder or try the zipline.”

She was partially inclined to take the ladder, but she was sure the rest of the Gryffindors were watching her and she didn’t want to cop out of the zipline at least. “I’ll try the zipline. Thanks,” Hermione gave her a grateful smile.

“Brilliant!” Ron had somehow appeared suddenly behind her.

“Oh, hush you,” Hermione said as her cheeks tinged pink. 

Jasmine hooked her in and said, “All you have to do is step off. Have fun.” 

Hermione closed her eyes and stepped before she could think too much about it. The feeling of sliding down the line was so exhilarating that Hermione couldn’t believe she thought it was actually fun! She opened her eyes in time to let her feet hit the bottom and unclasped her harness when she came to a stop.  
“You made it!” said Harry.  
“Er, yeah,” responded Hermione. She wasn’t exactly going to explain what happened before. “Why do you all still have your harnesses on?”

Ron came zooming in behind them as Harry explained that they were asked to keep the harnesses on for the challenge. “All set, mate? We’re supposed to meet Professor Burbage back in the center now.” So they all walked along to the clearing from earlier.

They joined the Hufflepuffs at the snack and water station as they waited for the Ravenclaws to finish. When the Ravenclaws finally arrived, Professor Burbage addressed them again. “I trust you all had fun learning the ropes! Now the fun is really about to begin! 

“Your teams will be competing against each other in the obstacle course you see behind me. You’ll be split into teams of two that the counselors have decided on. To keep things fair, you’ll be going in alphabetical order by team. So, the badger pairs will go first, followed by the eagle pairs, and the lion pairs will finish.”

“What if we don’t want to participate?” Lisa Turpin of Ravenclaw bravely asked.  
“Ah, good question, Miss Turpin! See, your teams will be competing against each other for certain items to use during tonight’s camping event! So, if you choose not to participate, you disqualify your pair, giving your team an added max time limit of thirty minutes, which is how long you have to complete the course. You will be timed, and the group with the overall lowest time will win the first place prize.”

“There are prizes involved?” Ernie MacMillan perked up.

“Yes, Mr. MacMillan, there are indeed! First prize will have the fire pit closest to their cabin for their campfire, and their tent will be set up for them. They’ll also receive additional snacks and beverages in addition to the s’mores supplies, and their lights out curfew will be extended to 11:30. The team in second place will be granted an 11:00 curfew and the choice between a set up tent or extra snacks. Third place will have a 10:30 curfew and the choice second place did not choose. Second and third places will have to share the other firepit as there are only two on property.”

Ron could hear Seamus mutter to Dean, “We have to get first place.”

“Now, let’s run through the obstacles, shall well? You’re all still wearing your harnesses because you’ll be starting with the ropes course similar to what you’ve just trained on. It starts with the rock wall, followed by the ladder cross, tight rope, and zipline. You’ll take your harness off after you finish the zipline.”

“What if you fall off the ropes course at any point?” Megan Jones, a Hufflepuff, asked.

“If you fall off, one minute will be added to your time. You can restart from the obstacle you fell from, or you can move onto the next obstacle, and add one more minute to your time for not going back. You must at least attempt the ropes course to stay in the running. If you refuse to do this part, you disqualify your pair, adding the full thirty minutes as discussed earlier.” 

Hermione began internally freaking out. She didn’t want to let her fellow Gryffindors down, but how in the world was she supposed to get over the paralyzing fear? There was no way she’d be able to overcome this in such a short amount of time.

“Any other questions on the ropes course? Your instructors from earlier will be at different points to assist if needed. Now, once your harnesses are removed, you’ll move on to the hay bale hurdles. You’ll make your way across the field behind me, following the arrows that show you where to go. You can jump or climb over the hay bales, but you can’t run around them. Next up is the tube tunnel, where you’ll be crawling through from one side to the next. Then there’s the wall climb. The rope is there to help you get up and over the other side. One partner can help the other up if needed. If you can’t make it across, another minute will be added to go around. The cargo net is next, where you’ll each climb up and ring the bells on either side, then climb back down. After, there’s the tire pit that you’ll make your way through, and onto the balance beams. Again, another minute will be added if you fall off and you’ll have to start over, so don’t try and go too fast! The final event is the massive water slide. You and your partner will slide down it past the finish line. You may end up in the lake if you can’t stop in time!” Professor Burbage laughed as she finished her explanation.

“Any other questions can be referred to your counselors. At this time, you’ll be breaking off to hear your pairings and develop your plans of attack. Once a team is past the tunnels, the next team can start. The counselors will be timing the groups as they go. Now, break off into your teams!”

The Gryffindors all huddled around Katie. “Alright, you lot, are you ready for your assignments? Now, before you get all defensive on me, most pairs are split up into boy/girl duos across all the teams. We’re actually the only team that has one non-boy/girl pair because you only have eight in your class, and you aren’t split evenly. So, here are the teams: Dean & Parvati, Seamus & Lavender, Ron & Hermione, and Neville & Harry.”

Hermione was afraid to look Ron in the eye because he’d already witnessed her massive failure earlier. She knew they’d be partners today, but she didn’t think she’d fail him this easily.

“Now, we have the advantage of going last as a team. Unfortunately, we don’t get to watch the other two teams. Have to keep it even somehow. Something about seeing what works and doesn’t. Anyways, we do get to figure out our line-up. Thoughts?”

“Dean and I can go first” Parvati volunteered. “I feel pretty good about the ropes course, and you didn’t seem to have any issues, right Dean?”

“Nope, I’m good with that,” Dean agreed.

“Excellent!” said Katie. “What about Harry and Neville next?”

“Sounds good to me,” Harry said as Neville nodded.

“I’ll be sure to stay focused so I don’t fall,” Neville added.

“Lav and I’ll go next,” Seamus said. “Just don’t think about falling again and you’ll be fine, Lavender.” She made a face, but ultimately agreed with him.

“So then that leaves Ron and Hermione as our last group. You both good with that?” Katie asked as they nodded.

“Alright, eagles and lions, time to head to the pavilion. The badgers will be starting shortly!” Professor Burbage interrupted them.

As they made their way to the pavilion to wait, Ron walked up next to Hermione. “Hey, you alright?”

“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine,” Hermione lied.

Ron looked at her and decided not to push it right now. As they waited, the others were talking strategy. 

“I can’t believe they’re making us stay in these harnesses while we have to wait this long,” Harry complained. “It’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, you know.” 

“It’s not that bad, Harry,” Parvati said.

“Easy for you to say! You’re a girl!” Seamus said, his implication clear.

“Okay, okay,” Katie interrupted them. Now, my biggest piece of advice is to not go too fast. Especially on the cargo net and tires. You can trip up or get tangled easily. Also, if you realize you can’t make it over the wall, just take the minute. It won’t be the end of the world. Most teams finish between ten and twenty minutes. It’s rare for a group to totally disqualify. Now, you can split up and talk about individual strategies if you’d like. ” 

“Er, Hermione,” Neville said, “Are you going to be alright on the ropes course? I only saw your zipline.”

If looks could kill, Ron’s glare at Neville would have been his demise. “I’ll do my best, Neville. Heights aren’t exactly my strong suit,” Hermione said.

“Just at least try and let yourself fall if you need to,” Dean reasoned. “The extra minutes will be nothing compared to a DQ.” Hermione nodded.

The lions stayed in a group as Dean and Seamus said what their plans of attack would be, while Harry and Neville seemed to be listening and taking mental notes. Hermione was trying to avoid Ron’s questioning eyes and listen to the conversation. 

Two horns sounded a little while later, and Katie said, “Oh! That means the badgers have finished. That’s the eagles’ sign to head over to the start. Won’t be long now!”

“Hey Hermione, can we talk?” Ron had walked up to her as the teams were starting to break out independently into their pairs.

“Sure, I guess,” Hermione said as she followed him to one of the empty tables. 

“How are you feeling about the ropes course?” he asked her. “And be honest.”

“I don’t know. I want to try, but I’m having a hard time getting past the mental block of it.”

“Hermione, we flew to London on thestrals. This is so much safer than that. Safer than half the stuff I reckon we’ve probably done as Harry’s best friends..” 

Hermione hadn’t thought of that. He was right, of course. “That’s true..”

“I was thinking, I like Seamus’ idea of climbing the rock wall at the same time. It’s wide enough for two people. I’ll cross the ladder first, and then I can help you get across. Just focus on me. Do you think that’ll help?”

“I- yes, it might actually,” Hermione said.

“Great. Just talk to me, and I’ll help you through it. We’ve got this. Plus, we’re going last so we can watch the rest and know what does and doesn’t work.”

“Thanks, Ron,” Hermione smiled gratefully at him. They went back to join the rest of the group, where Dean was leading them in a ridiculous set of muggle stretching to make sure no one cramped on the obstacles. Soon enough, the double fog horn sounded again.

“Alright, team! Time to go. All hands in and on the count of three we’ll yell go Lions when we get over there.” Katie led her group back to the starting line. Once there they huddled up, all arms in. “One, two, three..”

“GO LIONS!” Everyone shouted. Katie took her stopwatch as Dean and Parvati had their harnesses checked. The Hufflepuff instructor waved the start flag and they were off. The other Gryffindors cheered them on as they made a flawless run on the ropes course. They hurried out of their harnesses as fast as they could and made their way to start the hay bale hurdles. They were still looking strong as they came out of the tunnels, and Harry and Neville were given the signal to begin.

“Let’s keep watching the Dean and Parvati, I want to see what that wall is going to look like,” Ron told Hermione. They watched Dean go up first, and he grabbed Parvati’s hand and pulled her up the rest of the way when she couldn’t make it herself.

“That’s a way to do it,” Hermione said. “I think I’ll be able to get up, though.” 

“So you’re saying you want to try it first?” Ron asked. 

“Sure,” Hermione answered. “Everything else it seems we can do at the same time, except for the balance beam.”

“Sounds good.”  
Neville managed to not fall and he and Harry were already making their way to the hay bales. Seamus and Lavender started shortly after. Lavender did slip on the tightrope, but caught her balance so that she didn’t get a time penalty. Ron and Hermione took their positions to be ready to start. 

“Remember, just focus on me and we’ll be fine. I’ll get you through it,” Ron grinned at her.

“Mighty smug aren’t you?” Hermione teased.

“Anything to win,” Ron laughed.

“Team 4 on stand by. Ready...set...go!” the instructor shouted.

Hermione and Ron both made their way up the rock wall. Ron, of course, made it up first, and immediately got hooked in to cross the ladder. Hermione made it up to the platform and got hooked in next as Ron made it to the other side. You can do this, just focus on Ron, Hermione told herself. She put her hands on the balance rope, and one foot on the first plank just as before.

“You can do this, Hermione! Focus on me, or the planks. One plank at a time.” Ron called to her. 

Hermione put all her trust in the confident voice across from her. He believes in me, she thought. She took a deep breath and moved her other foot to the second plank. As soon as she stepped off, she felt the planks wobble and she immediately closed her eyes in fear, hanging on to the rope for dear life.

“Hermione, it’s okay! Look at me!” Ron shouted to her. She opened her eyes and peered at him through her wince. Ron waved his arm, beckoning her. “That’s it! Now try another step. Focus on the plank.”

And so Hermione did. Her foot made contact again, and the wobbling wasn’t as bad. She was expecting it now. Slowly, but surely, she made one step at a time, until she realized she had two steps to go. Hermione was so excited to be done that she moved a bit too fast and lost her balance. Thank goodness Ron was there to catch her.

“You did it!” He said as he let go. “Ready for the next one?”

“Yes, you go! We can’t waste more time!” Hermione said as they hurried around.

“Ron started the tightrope and halfway through he said, “This one’s more sturdy, just takes balance. You’ll be fine.”

Feeling more confident now, Hermione stepped on as Ron finished, and began stepping. Yes, it was more sturdy, but her feet were so wide compared to the thin line. She moved slowly but surely and as she approached the end, she looked up and told him, “I’m good! You take the zip line. I’ll meet you at the bottom.” Ron gave her a questioning look to which she answered, “I’m sure, now go!” She made the last few steps and as she made her way around, she was thankful he brought up the thestral travel. Hermione had honestly forgotten about it, and was glad for the reminder to help her through. She hooked herself onto the zipline and made her way down. 

Ron’s harness was already off, and he helped unclip her from hers. “Let’s go!” he shouted as they began running to the hay bales. Ron could easily clear the hurdles, but Hermione had to take running leaps and step over each one. The tunnels were rather grimy, but she crawled as fast as she could to get through. 

She’d beaten Ron by a few seconds so she made her way over to the wall. Hermione grabbed the rope and lifted her feet to try and climb up the wall. She was almost to the top, but couldn’t quite reach.

“Alright up there?” Ron asked her.

“I’ve almost got it!” she huffed. “I just need a boost to grab the top. Can you push me?” It was after the fact that she realized she’d just asked him to push her up by the bum, since it was the only thing he’d be able to reach.

“Um, I can..are you sure, though?” Ron sounded hesitant.

“Yes, Ron! We’re racing the clock here, just do it!” Hermione said impatiently. She couldn’t see how red his ears had gotten, but he lifted his arms regardless and pushed her up with both hands. Hermione was able to get an arm over and hoisted herself up. “Thanks! Now hurry!” she said as she slid down the other side.

It didn’t take long for Ron to reach her as his quidditch training had no doubt helped his upper body strength. The cargo net was a little slower to get up, but they both were able to ring their bells, and hopped off when they were close enough to jump and not hurt themselves. Hermione was trying to hide how out of breath she was.

“Just two more left!” Ron said as they moved to the tire pit.

They made their way a little slower through the tire pit so their feet wouldn’t catch on the lip of the tire and trip them. “I’ll go first for the balance beam,” Hermione said. She hopped up and was able to move quickly and confident as Ron hopped up behind her. They could hear their fellow Gryffindors shouting for them now. 

Hermione jumped down at the end and as Ron hopped off, he said, “Shall we get a running start?”

She laughed, and said, “Sure! Stop wasting time!” as she took off without waiting for him. Ron quickly caught her and they hit the slide as fast as they could. They were laughing and smiling from ear to ear as they passed the finish when Hermione realized she was going too fast and couldn’t stop.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no!” she cried as she flew into the lake. She heard a splash behind her that indicated Ron went in, too. They swam to the ladder on the dock as they got up and the other Gryffindors rushed them.

“We did it!” Harry yelled. “We beat the other teams by two minutes!”  
“We got first!” Seamus shouted. None of them were as soaking wet as Ron and Hermione. They clearly didn’t take a dip in the lake. They all walked back towards shore to a sour looking Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff team. 

Katie handed Ron and Hermione towels, as Professor Burbage exclaimed, “Congratulations, everyone! A job well done! The lions have succeeded in winning first place in a very close race! Hufflepuff was a close second, followed by Ravenclaw. You may all start heading back to the mess hall for lunch! Well done, well done. Have a great afternoon, and I’ll check in tonight at dinner to see what our second place team has decided for their choices.”

“Great job, Lions!” Katie congratulated them. Parvati and Lavender looked quite pleased, as Dean and Seamus were over-celebrating if there was such a thing. 

“Looks like they’ll be able to carry out their campfire plan tonight after all, huh?” Neville asked Harry, Ron and Hermione.

“Sounds like it,” said Harry. “It could be fun, though,” he chuckled.

“What plan?” Hermione looked suspicious.

“Just some fun campfire games,” Harry said quickly. Neville wouldn’t make eye contact, but Ron wasn’t so lucky.

“They may have managed to smuggle in some spirits. It’ll be fine, Hermione, don’t worry. Remember, this is supposed to be fun,” Ron told her.

Hermione wanted to protest, but she let it go. “Thanks for getting me through the course. We wouldn’t have won if it wasn’t for you.”

“You were brilliant, though! I knew you could do it,” Ron paused for a moment. “It’s a shame they won’t let us nap the rest of the afternoon though, that was exhausting.”   
Everyone laughed as they headed to the mess hall for lunch. Ron couldn’t wait for what the rest of the day was going to bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, the campfire!


	4. The Campfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a (not so) innocent game of Never Have I ever. Will Ron and Hermione finally realize what everyone else around the fire have known for months now?

Hermione was exhausted. She wasn’t one who normally napped, but she found herself laying on her bunk regardless. Luckily archery and tennis hadn’t been that bad, and most everyone had chosen swimming for the final activity because most of their arms were dead from all the climbing they had to do earlier. She heard a bunch of laughter coming from outside the cabin and checked her watch. 5:30. Hermione got up and grabbed her canteen allowance, figuring it’d be best to go pick something out for the campfire later. Hopefully something to boost her energy.

“Have a nice nap?” Ron had startled her as she opened the door to the common area.

“I don’t know if I actually slept, but I guess you could say I feel more rested.” Hermione responded.

“Same. Where are you headed?” he asked.

“Canteen. If I can find Katie, that is. Honestly, do we really need the buddy system if it’s right there?”

“I’ll go with you if you want,” Ron suggested.

“Sure, let’s go. We don’t have much time before dinner.” They walked along the short path and entered the building.

Hermione walked towards the candy and chocolate display, and decided she’d indulge herself by picking up two bars of Cadbury Marble. It was her favorite, and her parents only ever got one for her on her birthday and at Christmas. The cons of having dentists as parents, she thought. Since she had enough money, Hermione figured she might as well get a fizzy drink as well. If she was being honest, it felt nice to relax and not worry about every little thing for once.

Ron was at the drink cooler, contemplating choices. He was holding a bottle with a blue label and one with a red label. “Those are both practically the same, you know,” she told him.

“What? Oh, right, I’m just trying to remember which one Seamus suggested. I think it was this one,” Ron said as he held up the red bottle.

“Why was he specifying?” Hermione raised an eyebrow.

“Well, remember what I said earlier? He said this would pair best.” Ron decided on the red bottle and put the blue away. “You should get one, too. It’ll be fun tonight.”

“I don’t know…” Hermione said. She lowered her voice to a whisper so the attendant wouldn’t hear. “What if we get caught?”

Ron laughed, “You know the counselors all said the adults go off at night and do their own thing, right? At least that’s what Katie says.”

“Of course she’s alright with it,” Hermione said in a huff.

“Well fine then, be a killjoy.” 

Hermione knew Ron was goading her, but she wasn’t in the mood to rise above it for once. “Fine!” she said as she grabbed four red bottles. “We’ll see who has the last laugh,” as she moved past Ron to the cashier counter haughtily.

Ron gaped at her and reluctantly followed with the two bottles in his own hand. Once they’d checked out, they walked back to the cabin. “Meet me in the back where you caught Lavender and Seamus the other night,” Ron leaned down and whispered in her ear.

Hermione’s cheeks flushed and her heart started beating rapidly in her chest. Her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults. “Wh-what? Why?”

“You’ll see,” Ron said nonchalantly. 

Hermione looked at him wide-eyed. Was he really implying...there was no way he could fancy her. He’d never given her any inclination he might think of her as more than just a friend. Just this morning they’d wasted seconds arguing over him hoisting her up over the wall because he had to touch her bum. She shook her head to get the replay out of her mind before she fantasized about feeling his hands there again for the hundredth time this afternoon. Then, the hopeful side piped up: but he was so supportive and helped you through the ropes course. He didn’t just leave you there or yell at you to get through it. 

No, Hermione told herself. Do not get your hopes up. They entered the cabin and Hermione went to go put her chocolate bars in her duffel bag, as well as two of the Coke bottles. She figured she’d give Ron the other two. Who was she kidding, anyways. There was no way she’d be drinking four spiked bottles of Coke tonight. She shook her head at herself and muttered, “Ridiculous” as she headed towards the back connecting room.

“What took you so long?” Ron asked her when she appeared in the dim lit area. There were no windows back there, so they only had the filtered light from either side, as well as a small hanging lightbulb over the center of the area.

“I was putting my things away. What’s this?” Hermione asked as she noticed a small duffle peeking out of one of the random wooden boxes back there. 

“Seamus’ stash. We all went to buy a couple bottles with our money.”

“We all, as in all the Gryffindors? Why did no one tell me?” Hermione questioned.

“Are you really asking me that?” Ron looked at her, waiting for the realization to hit.

“Does everyone honestly think I’m that much of a spoilsport? I can have fun, too!” Hermione was feeling a weird mixture of pride and hurt.

Ron chuckled at her declaration. “I know, that’s why I brought you back here. To show you what we have.” He picked up two bottles. “I thought it was Firewhiskey at first, but Dean realized Seamus had grabbed the rum bottles instead. So that’s why everyone was buying the red bottles. Easy mixer is what Seamus said.”

“He sure knows an awful lot about all this. How does he always manage to be this well stocked all the time?” Hermione asked.

“Something about an older magical cousin.” Ron shrugged. 

Hermione realized that this wasn’t what she’d initially thought it was, and held out the two bottles she held to Ron. She shouldn’t have been surprised. “Well, here, you can add these to the pile. I’d never finish four anyways.” She was trying to hide the disappointment she was feeling. She wasn’t even sure why because she knew it was nothing to begin with.

Ron took the bottles from her, and placed them in the bag along with the rest of the goods. He’d noticed Hermione’s sudden change in demeanor, and wasn’t sure why. “Everything alright?” he asked tentatively.

“What, yes of course! Why?” Hermione tried to play it off cooly.

“Well, you went from ‘I’ll show you how to have fun’ to closed off and uncomfortable when I asked you to meet me back here…” Ron tried to explain.

Hermione thought about what he’d said for a moment and how she wanted to phrase her response. “It...it was just the way you asked was odd. You know, the way you described it. ‘Meet me in the place where you caught Lavender and Seamus’” Hermione explained.

“What? That’s not weird at-” Ron’s eyes widened as he played it back through and realized how it must have sounded. “Oh, no! No, I didn’t, I mean…” His ears reddened and he rubbed his neck with his hand in embarrassment. He was still reeling from when Hermione asked him to push her up at the rope wall. Of course that wasn’t the way he’d have liked to first touch her there, but.. Stop it, He berated himself. Not now! She’s right there!

“It’s- it’s fine. Think it’s time for dinner? I’d rather eat earlier and have enough time to shower before Katie rounds us up for the evening.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I’d better go make sure Harry’s awake. Meet you out front?” Ron asked.

“See you in a few,” Hermione smiled and turned to walk away. She really needed to stop fancying her best friend, but the more she tried not to think of him that way, the worse it got. Hadn’t she learned anything since she was thirteen? 

* * *

Seamus and Dean were finishing eating their dinner along with the rest of the Gryffindors when Professor Burbage arrived at their table. “Congratulations again to our first place winners!” she said. “I just wanted to give you an idea of what tonight will look like. You all will be using the fire pit on the other side of the rec building. That’s the closest to your cabin. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws have a farther trek. The other fire pit is just a ways in on the nature trail you were on with Professor Sprout on Monday. That’s where their tents are set up for camping as well.”

“Whoa, they have to go all the way out there?” asked Parvati. “Poor Padma.”

“Yes, Ms. Patil, that is actually where other campers go for their night under the stars when they are here. As mentioned earlier, you may stay out by the fire until 11:30 if you so wish. You’ll need to help Katie put out the fire before heading back to the cabin to sleep. Katie, if you’re all set you can come with me to get the extra snacks your campers have won, as well as the s’mores supplies and cups for drinks. It’s cheaper to get the larger bottles of fizzy drink than individuals,” she said with a laugh. “We’ll make sure the fire is ready to go at 8:00 when you head over. Have a wonderful evening!”

Katie took off with Professor Burbage as the rest of the Gryffindors finished eating and began heading back. Seamus made sure Harry, Ron and Hermione were ahead of him and Dean. Parvati and Lavender were walking with them as well.

“This should be fun tonight. Have you been thinking of your questions?”

“Ooh, yes!” said Lavender.

“We need to start with the ice breaker ones first, right?” Parvati specified. 

“Yeah. I’ll go over all that when we’re around the fire.” Seamus said. “Katie knows to give me the cups and Dean and I’ll take care of the drinks.”

“I’m so glad she’s going along with it! I want to see if we can crack Hermione’s crush,” said Lavender. “She never participates in our girl talk,” she pouted to Parvati.

“Same with Harry and Ron,” agreed Dean. “Either they’re never around or they just ignore us.”

“Good thing they do, though, otherwise Ron would’ve hexed you if he’d heard your thoughts about Ginny,” Seamus sniggered.

“Hey! I’ve been careful not to bring her up if I think he’s around!” Dean defended himself.

“Well, I don't know about you boys, but I need to get cleaned up. I’m still a sweaty mess, and swimming didn’t help at all. See you in a bit!” Lavender said as she pecked Seamus on the cheek. Parvati followed after her.

Seamus stopped and looked at Dean before entering the cabin. “Think we’ll be able to break ‘em?”

“I hope so. They’re so bloody obvious.” Dean said.

“Seriously. How they don’t see it with each other is beyond me.” Seamus rolled his eyes. “Let’s go prep the goods.”

* * *

Hermione walked over and took a seat on one of the logs between Harry and Ron. “Well, this is cozy,” Ron joked. “They really expect us to sit on a log for the next three or so hours?”

“That’s camping for ya, mate,” Harry said. Katie was walking around handing snack bags out to everyone, as Seamus and Dean were pouring and handing out drinks.

“I figured we could start by roasting some marshmallows and eating s’mores before we got into a couple games,” Katie suggested.

“What exactly are s’mores?” Ron asked. “I keep hearing the name, but I don’t have a clue what it means.”

Hermione laughed. “It’s where you roast a marshmallow using a stick, and make a sandwich out of it between two graham crackers and chocolate.”

“That sounds brilliant!” They all grabbed sticks and Katie tossed marshmallows to everyone. Ron put the marshmallow on the end of his stick and shoved it in the fire. “How do I know when it’s done?”

“You take it out every now and then to check the color. Some people like it charred and black, others golden brown. It’s all personal preference,” Hermione explained.

Ron pulled his stick out and the marshmallow was on fire. “It’s still burning! What do I do!”

Hermione leaned over and blew it out. She laughed. “Just blow it out. Don’t worry, it’s not ruined. Maybe a little bit longer.”

Ron and Hermione were completely oblivious to everyone else watching that little scene in front of them. “We’re not giving up until we’ve succeeded,” Seamus whispered to Dean who nodded.

After everyone had eaten their fill of s’mores, Katie got their attention. “Now, typically, we’d tell scary stories around the campfire, but Seamus had another idea. What happens over the next few hours is between us. The drinks Dean and Seamus passed out are spiked. If you don’t want to drink it, you don’t have to, but it’s what’ll make the game we’re about to play more fun. Want to explain, Seamus?”

“Happy to! We’re gonna play a healthy round of ‘Never Have I Ever!’” he started. Everyone either looked excited or intrigued. “So here’s how the game works. We go around the circle, and you start your phrase with ‘never have I ever’ and finish it with something you’ve never done. For the rest of the groupo - if you have done it, you have to take a drink. If you haven’t, you don’t drink. Simple as that.”

“Care to give an example?” Harry asked.

“I thought you’d never ask! Dean, will you do the honors?” Seamus diverted.

“Of course, mate! Never have I ever blown anything up.” Dean said as Seamus took a hearty swig.

“See? Not too hard, right?” Seamus asked.

“Yes, now let’s get started, please!” Lavender pushed.

“Shall our leader get us started?” Seamus asked as he raised his glass towards Katie.  
“Hmm,” Katie thought, “Never have I ever ridden an animal.” Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Lavender all drank. 

“Cheap shot, Katie,” Harry said to her. “Lavender, what have you ridden?”

“Yeah, Lav, Seamus doesn’t count!” Dean said as everyone laughed.

“Oh, shut up, Dean! I took horseback riding lessons growing up if you must know.” Lavender rolled her eyes. “Just for that, I’ll go next. Never have I ever fought with my best friend.” Katie, Ron, Hermione, and Harry all took a drink as Neville laughed.

“Me next!” said Parvati. “Never have I ever tried to flirt my way out of a detention.” 

“That’s not fair!” Lavender whined as Seamus took a sly drink. Dean snorted, but was the only one who saw.

“Too bad, drink!” Parvati giggled. “Hermione?”

“Umm..” She thought the whole concept was ridiculous, but was determined to show Ron she could let loose and have fun like the rest of them. “Never have I ever...messed around in the library.” Almost everyone drank except for Neville, who was no doubt terrified of Madam Pince and would never test her temper that way. She was quite pleased at the results for that one. “Ron, you next.”

“Never have I ever kissed someone in public,” Ron said. Hermione had never been so thankful that the kiss with Viktor was private. Katie, Dean, Seamus, and Lavender all drank. “Harry?”

“Never have I ever tried to impress someone I liked.” Harry said. Every single person drank except for Neville. Harry raised his cup to him.

Neville laughed as he said, “Never have I ever lied to impress someone.” Once again, everyone drank, except for Harry. Ron knew the Veela charm had buggered him on that one, but who did Hermione lie to..he looked at her quizzically.

“Oh, like you don’t remember second year,” Hermione said under her breath and Ron laughed at the reminder. “Is it just me or is this really strong?”

“Yeah, it’s a little heavy,” Ron shrugged. “Can’t handle it?” he teased.

“I can handle it just fine, thank you.” Hermione lied, she was honestly starting to feel a little funny. She’d never been drunk before so this was a new feeling. 

Dean went next. “Never have I ever saved someone’s life.” Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville drank again.

Seamus finished the first round with, “Never have I ever had the hots for someone in a different year.” Everyone but Ron and Hermione drank. Yes! Seamus thought to himself as they looked at each other oddly. “Alright, anyone need more before we start the next round?” Several people held their drinks up as he came around with the rum and Dean with the Coke.  
“That was an excellent warm-up round, now let’s start getting real. Parvati gave us one that isolated Lav, so remember those are fair game.”

“Yes, but let’s not get too personal,” Katie reminded them. “There is a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”

“Yeah, yeah. We can also jump around with questions. If you’re part of the never group on a particular question, shout yours out next. Nev, you wanna start.”

“Sure! Never have I ever gone all the way. Er, that wasn’t too personal, right?”

Dean lost it in fits of laughter. “Nope! Way to upgrade to the next level, though! Way to call Seamus out on his dorm stories, though!” Nobody drank,

Dean jumped in next. “Never have I ever gotten fingers.” Seamus, Lavender and Katie all drank.

“Can I drink if that was more information than I cared to know?” Harry asked. Neville and Ron laughed awkwardly in agreement, while Hermione just looked uncomfortable. 

Neville jumped in again. “Never have I ever fancied another Gryffindor.” Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Lavender, and Dean all drank. 

Katie went next, “Never have I ever dreamed about kissing my best friend.” 

Shit, Hermione thought, as she closed her eyes and drank a large gulp. Maybe I’ll be less embarrassed the more I drink. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that everyone except for Neville had their cups tipped back.

“What the..” Neville said as Katie had a shocked expression on her face.

“Okay, how about never have I ever daydreamed about kissing my best friend..” Katie tried. 

Hermione thought she heard Ron mutter, “fuck” under his breath, as she saw his cup go to his lips. So she quickly held hers up and finished off what she had left. Everyone was staring at her and Ron, including Harry. “What? Someone go next! Why are you all staring?”  
Harry looked at her incredulously. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Ooh!” Lavender jumped in. The alcohol was hitting her, “Ron and Hermione were the only two who drank!”

“Honestly, Lavender,” Hermione ignored her and got up to pour herself more. She poured a healthy amount of rum, assuming she was going to need it to get through this. She was trying not to think too much about the fact that Ron drank, too. Hermione refused to get her hopes up. 

“Never have I ever watched quidditch for a person more than the sport,” Seamus said. Hermione rolled her eyes as she walked back to her seat. She drank again along with Lavender and Parvati. At least she wasn’t alone.

“Never have I ever gone to the library to NOT check out a book or do work,” Parvati said. That time, Seamus, Dean and Ron drank. 

Why would Ron drink at that, Hermione thought, unless he only would go to see me? The more she thought about it, sometimes he’d show up and just keep her company. 

“Never have I ever stayed at a friend’s house who was the opposite sex,” Katie said.

“Katie!” Hermione couldn’t believe it. “That’s not fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war, Hermione. Parvati did it to me,” Lavender reminded her. She rolled her eyes as she drank again. Hermione was really starting to feel the effects of maybe a bit too much rum. She’d have to stop after this cup. 

“Never have I ever asked someone for homework help just to get close to them,” Dean said next.

Hermione noticed Ron take a long swig of his drink, along with Katie and Lavender. Ron’s ears were turning red now. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the rum or something else.

“Never have I ever spent an extended amount of time in the boy’s dorm,” Parvati said. Everyone around the fire drank.

Questions continued to be asked, and Hermione was starting to feel more comfortable as she got to skip several questions in a row. She didn’t have much left in her cup. 

“Never have I ever completed all of my assignments early,” Seamus said. Katie drank along with Hermione. 

“What?” Katie said, “Gotta stay on top of everything with quidditch and all.”

“Never have I ever kept a crush to myself,” Lavender said. Ron, Hermione, Parvati and Dean all drank. Luckily, Lavender was too focused on Ron and Hermione to notice Parvati.

Seamus went next, “Never have I ever adjusted my buttons based on who’s in the room.” He was looking directly at Hermione. It was like time froze around the campfire, and everyone turned slowly to who Seamus was looking at.

How would he even know that? Hermione thought. It was only one time! She didn’t think anyone was paying attention. Ron had gone upstairs to grab a book, and she undid the top two buttons of her shirt when she thought no one was looking. She’d heard Lavender talking about it one day. It wasn’t inappropriate...she had a camisole on underneath. 

Hermione was furious at him. She chugged what was left, threw her cup on the ground, stood up (albeit a bit unsteadily) and took off for the cabin. She didn’t need to deal with that anymore.

She walked as quickly and safely as she could back to Cabin 1. Tears were welling up in her eyes from anger. The more she thought about it, the more she felt singled out by a lot of those questions. What were they getting at? Hermione walked into the girls side of the cabin, and stared at her bed. She didn’t want to cry there. Not if the girls came back. The bathroom was out as an option as well. They’d see her leave because of the flood light. That’s when Hermione remembered the back room, so she headed there and sat down against the wall.

Back at the campfire, no one knew what to say. Seamus had definitely taken it a step too far. Harry spoke up first. “What the fuck, Seamus? It’s one thing to ask the question, but why would you stare at her like that?”

“Lavender drank too!” he defended. 

“Yes, but your gaze directed everyone’s attention at Hermione. Not cool.”

“Shouldn’t someone go check on her?” Neville asked hesitantly. Everyone, even Harry, looked at Ron.

Ron downed the rest of his drink and got up to go back to the cabin. As much as he wanted to question their stares, he was more concerned for Hermione. And, he didn’t feel like getting in a fight with anyone tonight. He started replaying the questions over in his mind. It definitely seemed like a lot of them were aimed at Hermione and him. Especially the ones that were when only the two of them drank. If he didn’t know any better, it felt like a set up. Could Hermione actually feel the same way? Judging by her drinking responses, it very well could be. 

Ron entered the cabin quietly and checked the girl’s side. He didn’t see her on any of the beds. He went over to the boys side and thought about where she could be. He didn’t think she’d wander, she’d have to be here or the bathroom. Oh, the back room! He thought. Ron walked quietly to the back of the cabin, and sure enough he could make out a silhouette of a body curled up on the ground.

“Hey,” he said quietly. When she didn’t respond, he came closer and asked, “Mind if I join you?” Hermione remained silent, so Ron sat down beside her, taking her silence for acceptance. “Seamus is an arse. He shouldn’t have done that.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Hermione said quietly.

“Yes, it does. It crossed a line!” Ron said defensively.

“But I got what I wanted by doing it, didn’t I? Someone noticed. Isn’t that why girls do that? For a boy to notice them?” Hermione asked.

Ron wasn’t sure how to answer that. He definitely remembered that night, and it had gotten his attention. It was all he could do to not stare and be completely obvious. “I think more than just Seamus noticed,” he said bravely. 

Hermione finally looked up at him. “How would you know?” she said breathily.

“Because I noticed,” Ron’s voice was scarcely more than a whisper.

Hermione couldn’t help the smile that escaped from her lips.

“Are you actually smiling?” Ron gave her a confused look. If Ron didn’t know any better, that smile made him think that maybe she’d done that for him.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “Do you think they purposely asked some of those questions?”

“I was thinking that, yeah. Especially when Katie said the daydream one,” Ron admitted.

“Funny way to tell Harry you think of him in that way,” Hermione giggled.

“Hey! I was gonna say the same thing about you!” Ron said. 

“Did you forget I have two best friends?” Hermione said. Oh boy, she thought I think the alcohol is taking over, I didn't mean to say that!

“So do I…” Ron said. “Plus, I don’t exactly think of Harry like that.” Ron only dared to look at Hermione out of his peripheral, and saw her head snap back to him.

“Ron…” Hermione whispered. “We were the only two not to drink when Seamus asked about fancying someone in a different year.”

Ron turned back to her then, and said “And we both did drink at fancying a Gryffindor.” 

His gaze fell down to her lips. She was so close, and was she- was she leaning up toward him?. Several other of the questions flitted through his mind, and it all started to click. Before he could talk himself out of it he leaned into her and met her lips with his. Ron felt Hermione melt into him, and bloody hell she was kissing him back. He brought one of his hands up to cup her cheek. They stayed connected a few more seconds before he forced himself to pull away, but he kept his forehead connected to hers.

“Hermione.. D’you really-” he started to ask before she could him off, knowing what he was going to ask.

“Yes, and you?”

“Yeah,” he couldn’t help the grin that broke out. He pulled away long enough to stand up and help her up. When she was on her feet, Ron pulled her in for a hug. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him again. Ron wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but when they finally broke apart, Ron felt like he should at least ask properly. “So, uh, d’you wanna be my-”

“Yes!” Hermione wouldn’t even let him finish. They stood there a while before Hermione checked her watch. “It’s only 11. Should we go back out there?”

Probably should, yeah? They might get suspicious if I don’t return at least.”

“That’s true. You don’t think they were trying to make this happen all along, do you?” Hermione asked.

“Looking back? I wouldn’t be surprised.” They both laughed.

“I’m still planning to hex Seamus when he least expects it, though.”

“Can I help?” Ron asked as they made their way out of the cabin. He held out his hand and Hermione took it. 

As they approached the campfire, Lavender and Katie spotted them first, and their jaws dropped when they saw them holding hands. Everyone else’s heads whipped around when they saw the girls’ looks as Dean asked, “Did it work?”

“Holy shite, it worked!” said Harry. If he said anything else, nobody would know because he was drowned out by the cheers and whoops that the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs could probably hear from however far away they were.


End file.
